How to market your architecture firm? This question is essential for architects who wish to procure new business opportunities. But answering it often turns into a challenge for them. That is because an architect is a busy professional who often has to deal with multiple projects at a single time. Which does not leave much room to study marketing techniques and implement them in business. So, many architecture experts use a word-of-mouth approach and a website with a few ready projects in a portfolio to promote their services. But though these means are useful to some extent, they are not sufficient enough.
To increase the influx of clients, an architect needs a more well-thought-out approach. Without it, a talented professional can lose out on customers even to less skilled competitors just because they use marketing techniques wisely. Which will be a disappointment for a proficient architecture expert with great experience. So, how to prevent such a situation and market your firm successfully?
As a professional architectural visualization studio, we often assist our customers in the creation of marketing materials. This allows us to have a unique understanding of the work architects do and how they can build an effective promotional campaign. With this in mind, we have decided to share this knowledge. Join us to learn 5 ultra-useful tips on how to market your architecture firm!
#1. Specify your niche
A common mistake that owners of an architecture firm can make is claiming to be experts across the board. Not only this is practically unfeasible but it also makes prospects doubt your competence — because no one can be good at everything.
The better scenario to market your architecture firm is to establish yourselves as experts in a specific niche. It can be designing luxury homes, commercial buildings, budget houses, or else. It helps clients narrow down their options and make a decision on which company to employ. So, architecture specialists should establish their expert areas and neatly divide up their portfolio by types of projects.
#2. Make use of video content
When thinking of how to market your architecture firm, you should consider the powerful impact of video. According to Wordstream, 51% of marketing professionals around the world say this type of content generates the best ROI. So, architects need to use this tool to the fullest to promote their services effectively. For that purpose, they can produce different kinds of videos: self-introduction, educational, and, of course, ones showing ready projects.
But in the last case, an architecture firm may not always have enough resources to regularly craft compelling footage for promotion. The thing is that to film a video of this kind, a company needs some newly built projects to show. But completing them takes a lot of time, so most of the firm’s new beautiful designs are usually under construction. Which means there is nothing to shoot yet.
Luckily, there is a solution. Thanks to professional 3D animation services, it is possible to get photorealistic videos of the future outcome of projects that are being constructed or only exist as concepts thus far. To obtain such 3D assets, architecture professionals should contact a 3D visualization studio and fill in a brief. Then, 3D artists will generate photorealistic 3D animations showing the future look of the designs. They can then be used to market architecture services on a website or social media platforms.
Immerse clients into your projects with realistic 3D animations
#3. Use cutting-edge 3D technologies
The use of 3D visualization has risen across multiple industries, including architecture, and for a good reason. CGI materials allow an architect to display the full range of their skills in a way that was impossible before.
For instance, now, one can show the expected outcome of architecture projects in photorealistic 3D pictures before the construction even starts. Using drawings sent by an architecture firm, skilled 3D artists can create CG images of the future building to be used as marketing materials.
Another good option is ordering a 360-degree virtual tour. This asset allows potential clients to explore the designed house by clicking on a mouse or a touchpad. The viewers can “walk into” the building, see the interior or exterior from multiple angles, and get a feel for what this place would be like in real life.
It is also a great idea to get a 3D floor plan for the house. This type of CGI showcases the building from a bird’s eye view in photoreal quality, allowing viewers to examine the smart layout solutions. Using all these visual materials to market your architecture firm is highly effective to attract more prospects.
#4. Share testimonials of the former clients
As Invescpro reports, more than 90% of people check out customers’ reviews before deciding to use the services of a business. Therefore, sharing positive feedback is a surefire way to build trust with prospects and turn them into clients. Which is why this tool is very important in content marketing for architects.
So, how to market your architecture firm effectively with testimonials? First of all, one should try to get as many good reviews as possible. However, their quality and content matter as well. It is perfect if the reviews go in-depth into the nature of the services offered. A one-line testimonial that says “I loved this company’s work” would not be enough to sway a prospect. Therefore, getting detailed and informative reviews is essential here. These testimonials can come in both text and video interview formats.
#5. Make use of SMM
Using social media to market architecture services is a no-brainer. However, many firms tend to go in blind without formulating a proper SMM strategy. This way, the marketing process might end up being disorganized and ineffective.
So, how to market your architecture firm using SMM?
Establish a strong presence on the most popular social media platforms. Those include Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. It is also vital to use specialized sources like Houzz. The latter is specially developed to connect people interested in architecture design and home improvement with professionals in these areas. This means that an architect and their client can get in touch through Houzz, for example, and establish a strong relationship there before meeting and signing a deal. This will help to streamline communication and workflow.
Gather information about the target audience. It is required to learn as much as possible about their geographic location, age, profession, gender, lifestyle, hobbies, and so on. This will help to create a customer avatar and then produce valuable content tailored to it. It should engage your target audience. For instance, you can share useful advice on burning topics, start discussions, offer followers to take part in quizzes and questionnaires, etc.
Also, it is vital to regularly post high-quality imagery of the architecture expert’s works. These can be photos of ready projects or 3D visualizations of the upcoming designs.
Show the inner workings of your firm to build trust. Let your prospects see not just your achievements but also the human aspect behind your work. By seeing a firm’s inner workings, prospective customers can get an in-depth understanding of what it would be like to engage with these experts. For this, architects should publish images and videos of their work routine on social media. They can show themselves discussing drawings at the office, meeting vendors, doing site visits, and so on. They can share info about the company’s challenges and successes, and even some funny and heartwarming memories relating to the working process.
Finally, it is important to be responsive. When users leave comments on shared content or send private messages, a firm’s SMM manager must always answer promptly and politely.
We hope that this article helped you to understand how to market your architecture firm. To do it right, it is needed to follow a few simple rules. It is wise to define a company’s niche area, showcase the inner workings, use video marketing, and implement innovative technologies such as 3D visualization. Also, it is important to share testimonials of satisfied clients and make use of social media platforms.
Showcase your architectural project like a true work of art, brought to life with cutting-edge AI-powered CGI technology.
Need professional architectural rendering services to market your architecture firm with show-stopping CG visuals? Contact ArchiCGI and we’ll gladly help you with that!
Nataly Cher Nataly's ambitious nature and creativity play a key role in her ability to create engaging content and highly successful targeted campaigns. Outside of the office, Nataly indulges her love of photography and plays with her joyful Jack Russel terrier, Mario.
Senior Social Media & Email Marketer
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